Tobacco guide device for cigar making machines



March 4, 1941.

F. H. B. STELZER TOBACCO GUIDE DEVICE FOR CTGAR MAKING MACHINES Filed Oct. 15, 1938 INVENTOR MA ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 4, 1941 UNITED. STATES.

2,233,494 TQ'BACG'O GUIDEDEVICE FOR CIGAR- MAKING MACHINES Franz Heinrich Benn'o Stelzer, Dresden, Germany,

assignor to Universelle" Cigarettenmaschinen- Fabrik J. C; Muller 8:00., DresdemGermany Application October 15, 1938, Serial No. 235,117

In Germany October ,25, 1937 5 Claims.

This invention relates to guide devices for machines for making cigars, and more particularly to guide devices having shaking devices through which the'tobacco .passes. As uniformity in the manufacture of cigars. is important in respect to thickness and weight, the invention has for its object to provide means to regulate the quantity of tobacco passing through the shaking device.

For this purpose, a shaking device for tobacco for cigars and the like is provided with lateral means to control the width of the tobacco flow. As a further part of the invention, means are provided to control the height of the tobacco flow. Both lateral and vertical control means are adjustable so that thereby the cross sectional area, that is, the volume of the tobacco flow which is subjected to the shaking device, can be adjusted to meet the particular requirements for larger or smaller amounts to be shaken, and then passed on for the further handling of the tobacco in the manufacture of the cigars.

As a part of this invention, is the concept of adjusting the side walls, which have teeth registering with the known teeth of the shaker device, towards and from each other, and adjusting the width of the press plates within these side walls accordingly, so as to provide a tunnel.- like enclosure for the tobacco to be subjected to vibration, or shaking, or forward swinging movement. I

These compensating movements of side and top walls are carried out by means, which may be actuated by hand.

The invention will be more fully described hereinafter, shown in the drawing of the embodiments thereof, and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a side view;

Figure 2 is a part view in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1, and partly in vertical section taken on line II-II ofFigure 1, and

Figure 3 is a detail enlarged view of part of the mechanism for the adjusting spindle.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the various views.

Referring to the drawing, the means for ad justing the width of the tobacco flow consists, in the embodiments shown, of lateral walls l1 and I8. These, in the embodiment, are slightly inclined, diverging outwardly as seen in Figure 2. The lower sides of these walls are formed into notches to register with thesteps of the shaker bottom 1 shown in Figure 1. This registration prevents tobacco {from passing out between the shaker I and side walls l1 and I8.' Thereby, a satisfactory closure is obtained, yet at the same time the walls I! and [8 can beadjusted in respect to each other laterally of the shaker I.

To the walls H, l8, there are attached, at their outer sides, members l9 and 20, and by means of these, the side walls are secured to bracket members 2| and 22, of angular shape, which in, turn rest upon and are secured to the uprights 23 and 24 of angularly shaped members 25 and 26. Within these members 25 and 26, screw; threads are provided to receive spindles 21- and 210., which have exterior screw threads thereon to engage the interior screw threads of the members 25 and 26. The spindles 21 and 21a extend through the members 25 and 26 and through a common member 21b, in which the spindles freely rotate. Thus, by rotating the spindles 21 and 21a, the members 25 and 26 are moved relatively thereto, and as the screw threads of one spindle are in opposite direction to that of another, the members 25 and 26, either both move inwardly, or both move outwardly. The members 25 and 26 are guided in channels in the bedpieee 2, as seen in Figure 2. The spindle 21 has a thumb wheel 28 to enable it to be rotated by hand. This adjustment device is generally suflicient, but if desired a second and like device may be applied as indicated by 3| in Figure 1. If it is desired to move both sets of spindles at once, a chain 29 passes over the gear 30 of spindle 21a and over gear am of the spindle 3|. All the parts described move with the shaker I, Since they are all supported in the shaker bed 2.

By the device described, a lateral adjustment of widening or narrowing the tobacco channel can be obtained.

Disposed within the tobacco channel, is a tobacco height regulating device, which however does'not partake of a shaking action. It is fixed to the frame of the machine. It is adjustable in accordance with the width of the tobacco channel. A tobacco pressing device is not new, but the novelty here is to make it of two parts which can be disposed in respect to each other to fit within the width of the channel formed by the side plates l1 and I8, so that the tobacco can be pressed down between the plates I! and For this purpose, it consists of two overlying plates l5 and 32,..which "are angularly shaped. The member I5 is provided with a deflected portion 16, this end being deflected to gently guide the tobacco. It forms a mouth for the entrance of thetobacco. The plate I5 is secured by means of screws 33 and 34 to the guide piece 35, as shown in Figure 3. This guide piece 35, or two when used, is secured to the journal members 31 by screws 36. To enable a certain adjustability to be had in the'longitudinal direction of the plate I 5, the holes through which the screws 35 pass are elongated in shape.

The spindles 40 and 4| are journaled-also ina cross piece 42, which extends over the tobacco channel. Upon the spindle 40 is fixed a wheelv 43, adapted to be rotated by hand, By turning the Wheel '43, the spindle 40 .is rotated. As the bores of the members 31 and 38 are provided with opposite screw threads, which engage correspond ing threads of the journal members 3'! and 38, so," by the turning of the hand Wheel 43 the journal members 31 and 38, depending on the rotation of the spindle 40, are moved towards or from each other. As the angular members I5 and 32 are secured to the journal members 31 and 38, these members and 32 are moved therewith, and thus by turning the wheel 43, the members I5 and 32 are brought towards or away from each other. To better guide the journal bearings, two Spindles 40 and 4| are provided. The turning of the spindle 40 is brought-about by the pinion 4'4 acted upon by the pinion 45, which is fixed to the spindle 40. The parts which act with the spindle 4! are like those which cooperate with spindle 40. It is necessary to note that because of the pinions, the rotation of the spindle 40 brings about an opposition direction of spindle '4 l In consequence, the threads or windings which work with journal members '31 and 38 must run opposite to those on spindle 40.

In order to adjust thepress members l5 and 32 vertically, the part 42 which extends above the tobacco channel is pivoted at 46 to the bracket 46a. The part 42 has an extending eye in Y which a screw threaded spindle 48 seats, which is adjustable up or down by the thumb wheel 41. The desired position of the spindle is fixed by the nut 49. The forward; end 50' of the spindle rests against aprojection 5| of the frame. This permits the part 42 to be raised or lowered. Thus, by the aid of the thumb wheel 41, the part 42 and the members l5 and 32 may be raised or lowered.

Thus, by the lateral adjustment of the plates l1 and |8,.and the vertical adjustment of the members [5 and 32, the volume of the tobacco channel which is to be subjected to the shaking device may be regulated as desired.

It is advisable to give attention to the quantity of tobacco which is fed by the conveyor T, and hopper I3 is relatively equal in supply, with a slight quantity above the supply fed by the shaking device. This excess is blocked by the front edge of the press plates l5 and 32, which is stationary, whereas the shaking device moves as known. By this impedance of the excess, and the to and fro movement of the tobacco flow, this excess moves over the rear edge 52 of the shaking device. It can be conveyed to the hopper [3 by known means. I

The novel parts of the invention described above are operated by a known driving means.

The saw tooth shaker I is connected fixedly with the part 2, whichis supported by the crank pin 3, which is arranged on the crank arm 4 of the shaft 5, and is also supported by the mechanism 6, which is guided in rails 1 in a to and fro movement, and is carried by a rod 8 of the shaft 9.

The actuation of the shafts 9 and 5 result-s from the pulley I0 and a suitable belt or chain,..with

the aid of the gear wheel LI and gear wheels [2 anal 3; a The crank rods 3j a'nd'8 cooperating with the shaflts'5 and 9, cause a swinging movement of part 2 and member I, which to and fro swinging or shaking movement is transferred to the tobacco. ':ThiS movement given to the tobacco 1 causes it to move along the downwardly inclined Wall l4- p i It is, obviol lsthat various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically fdescri-bed' embodiment of this invention without departing'from the spirit thereof; such changes and modifications being restricted only by the 'scope of the following claims.

What I claim is: 1

1.' A tobacco guide'device' for cigar making machines,'having a shaking device which receives the tobacco at one end-thereof, press plates ver-' tically spaced from the'toothed surface of the shaking device, and means for'moving the press plates'towards and from each other, laterally'of the tobacco flow direction-through the shaking device.

2. A tobacco guide device. for cigar making machines, having a shakingdevice which receives the tobacco at one end thereof, angular plates one slidable over the other, and ad pted to press vertically downw-ardlyupon the tobacco flow passing through the shaking device, and means moving one plate to and from the' other.

3. A tobacco guide device for cigar making machines, having a shaking device which receives the tobacco of one end thereof, angularj lates one slidable over the other, and adapted to press vertically downwardly uponthe tobacco :flow passing through the shaking device, means moving one plate to and from the other, said means including two spaced supporting members, and a common means for both members for moving them towards and from each other. l s

4. In combination, a shaking device having a saw tooth bottom surface, side. walls having a side edge in registration with said 'saW tooth bot-- tom, press plates within said side walls and spaced vertically from said bottom and forming a mouth for receiving tobacco, means moving the side walls towards and fromeach other,- means moving the press plates towards and from eachother and slidingly over each other to extend from side wall to side wall, whereby a channelis formed between the side walls press plates and saw tooth bot tom for the passage of tobacco in its movement by the shaking device, means for feeding tobacco to the month end of the channel, and means for discharging the tobacco flow from the other end of the channel. 7 I

5. In combination, a shaking device having a toothed bottom wall, side walls registering with said toothe'dbo-ttom and movable transversely of said bottom, supports for said side walls extending exteriorly; of the same, a common means for moving said side walls to .and fro, including a 

